Employment Discrimination Blog

Unemployment has been an unfortunate reality in the United States since the recession hit in 2008. We often hear about how difficult it is for young people to find jobs in today’s economy. It is far less likely to hear about older individuals who are struggling to find a job. People that are out of work and over 45 are less likely to be without a job. But, once they are out of work, it becomes much harder for them, as opposed to younger people, to find a job.

It seems that one major reason for the large amount of older individuals who have been unemployed for long periods of time is age discrimination. Older people with years of experience can apply for a multitude of positions and receive no call back. They know they are qualified, the employer knows they are qualified and yet they don’t get interviewed. Potential employers can discover their approximate age by the dates listed on their resumes. Dates for things such as diplomas, job experience and achievements are dead giveaways for a person’s approximate age. This causes the biased employer to pass them over for someone younger. If the person has been out of the workforce for a long time this can be another major obstacle.

Some older unemployed individuals have turned to adjusting their resumes so that they do not reflect their age. They take out dates such as when they received their degree, earlier work experience, achievements and start and end dates at past positions. Some are even lying about dates on their resumes. Instead of stating that they received an award in one year, they choose a later year to make it seem that they are younger. They are not lying about their achievements or abilities, just about the timing. These folks are doing the same tweaking to their online profiles, such as Linkedin.com accounts.

Most of these individuals just want to get an interview. They are sick of being turned down immediately due to their age. Employers engaged in these practices are committing age discrimination even though it would be nearly impossible to prove. As a result, some older individuals are doing what they have to do to make a living. Omitting information is usually not a problem as long as it does not result in false information. The same way people don’t note on their resume’ that they struggled in position, they can omit dates and other age implying information. When this omitting turns into lying these people might run into a problem.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of age discrimination call Pankey & Horlock, LLC at (770)670-6250.